Senior NEPA Environmental Lead

Jacobs; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy

Health and welfare benefits

401(k) plan and stock purchase

Unlimited PPTO and holidays

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Senior NEPA Environmental Lead to expand our Midwest transportation environmental practice. You will lead NEPA strategy, engage with state and federal agencies, and guide multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality analyses and permit applications.

You will drive business development, maintain client relationships across MN, WI, IA, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH, and collaborate across environmental, engineering, planning, resilience, and energy teams to win work and deliver

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree as specified (or related technical discipline).
• 15+ years of experience in transportation-related environmental work, with leadership of multidisciplinary projects.
• Established relationships with Midwest DOT clients and other agencies.
• Experience in proposal preparation and interviews.
• Strong technical writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Experience leading technical teams in collaborative environments.
• Experience communicating findings and strategy to clients and agencies.
• Ability to manage scope, schedule, and budgets; travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Grow environmental services for transportation clients in Midwest markets; support practice expansion.
• Prepare proposals, scope and fee strategies, and assist in competitive bid processes.
• Lead NEPA-related regulatory strategies and environmental analyses for transportation projects.
• Oversee environmental documents, analyses, and permit applications; ensure quality control.
• Manage projects and tasks, including budgets and staffing; coordinate with DOTs and agencies.
• Represent Jacobs and clients in stakeholder meetings, workshops, and interagency coordination.

Skills

Technical writing

Editing

Communication

Technical leadership

Proposal preparation

Interviews

Team leadership

Client communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in planning, environmental law, biology, or related environmental science program

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

We are seeking a Senior NEPA Environmental Lead to support and help grow our Midwest transportation sector environmental work. This senior-level role will serve as a technical project lead responsible for transportation environmental strategy, regulatory interface, and high-quality technical deliverables, with significant involvement in proposal preparation, competitive pursuits, and cross-department collaboration. This position will work closely with Senior Leadership to ensure project success.

This position will play a central role in expanding and strengthening the Environmental Planning practice in the Midwest for state and local transportation clients. The Senior NEPA Environmental Lead will shape strategies and advance key initiatives directly to help Jacobs grow environmental capabilities in the Midwest. The ideal candidate should bring deep experience in transportation-related federal approval processes, strong technical leadership, and a proven record of guiding multi-disciplinary teams.

The successful candidate must be a client-facing leader with experience with transportation infrastructure and strong relationships with clients in the Midwest market (MN, WI, IA, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH). You will help identify project opportunities and participate in marketing pursuits, have a key role in maintaining and growing relationships with our regional and local clients, and will work directly with clients to deliver superior service.

Business Development & Competitive Pursuits

• Help to build and expand environmental services for transportation clients in Midwest markets
• Support practice growth by identifying opportunities, informing pursuit strategies, and contributing to marketing materials.
• Collaborate across departments (environmental, engineering, planning, resilience, and energy) to create integrated project approaches.
• Prepare proposals, develop scope and fee strategies, and support competitive bid processes and interviews for new work.

Technical Leadership & Project Delivery

• Support environmental planning and regulatory strategy for transportation, projects across the Midwest.
• Serve as senior technical lead and subject matter expert on NEPA requirements for transportation projects (Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, and other studies such as Section 4(f), Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act) , permitting, or other regulations.
• Manage projects or environmental-related tasks, including contributing to scopes, schedules, budgets, and managing staff.
• Oversee preparation and quality control of environmental documents, technical analyses, permit applications, and other regulatory compliance materials.
• Lead or support interactions with state DOTs, FHWA, federal and state regulatory agencies, transit agencies, and environmental regulators.
• Represent both Jacobs and clients in stakeholder meetings, technical workshops, public meetings, and interagency coordination in such a way that reflects favorably on our clients and on Jacobs.

What We Offer

• Become part of a team of supportive, respectful, and inclusive peers who are consistently recognized by our clients for outstanding service.
• Design a career path focused on your aptitudes and goals.
• Work in an environment that supports collaboration, learning, and creative approaches to problem solving, where you are recognized for your contributions.
• Enjoy the flexibility of working in office and from home.
• Work for a company that promotes a healthy work-life balance.

Here’s what you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree in planning, environmental law, biology, or related environmental science program, or related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in transportation-related environmental work, with experience leading multidisciplinary transportation projects.
• Established relationships with DOT clients in the Midwest (MN, WI, IA, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH), and other federal or state agencies.
• Experience in proposal preparation and interviews.
• Strong technical writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Experience leading technical teams; operating as a senior technical leader in a collaborative, and multidisciplinary environment.
• Experience interacting with clients to communicate findings and develop environmental process strategies; experience representing clients on project teams and in agency-to-agency coordination.
• Ability to manage scope, schedule, and budget projects effectively.
• Occasional travel for client meetings, public meetings, and site visits.

Ideally, you will also have

• Master’s degree in planning, environmental law, biology, or related environmental science program, or related technical discipline.
• Experience with traditional and alternative delivery transportation projects

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $123,400.00 to $224,200.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on August 05, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

At Jacobs, we’re partnering across the globe to create the best project outcomes by maximizing the design, digital technology, and support capabilities of our Global Integrated Delivery (GID) teammates. By joining Jacobs, you’ll commit to supporting and engaging with these teams, as we work to build a company like no other.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.